This Was The Selfie That Caused a Plane to Crash, and 4000 Free Miles from a Disappearing Program

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About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

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Comments

  1. No, the Colorado crash was NOT “blamed on pilot taking a selfie.” That headline that could only be written by an idiot with zero understanding of ANYTHING to do with aviation beyond the warm nuts in premium cabins. OK, so you pretend to be an expert on flying. Do you not have even a basic understanding of the english language?

    The Cessna crash in Colorado, like most fatal aircraft accidents, was caused by pilot error – a string of pilot errors, actually (it’s often the case that you can get away with one or even a couple dumb mistakes). The pilot was not qualified to fly under the conditions of the flight – in poor weather, and at night over dark terrain, and completely disregarding every regulation and reasonable safe operating procedure. Any one of those things could easily have resulted in a fatal accident. Combine them, and you have a formula for disaster, which is what resulted.

    The fact that the idiot pilot may have been snapping photos in addition to the other incredibly stupid things he did only qualifies him to go to the head of the line for the Darwin Awards. No, snapping selfless didn’t kill this guy. Being too stupid to drive a car or just walk down the street is what killed him. With the kind of judgement he exhibited BEFORE he started taking pictures, he had no business anywhere near an airplane or even a bicycle.

    But nice clickbait headline though. Mister Expert.

  2. @Eddie – Lighten up Francis … (see movie Stripes for reference)

    So eddie, the *investigators* of the crash say:

    “Selfies likely factor in fatal Colorado plane crash, investigators say”

    Maybe if you are so much an expert you should publish your credentials mister troll

  3. But NTSB investigators said that phone use likely contributed to the pilot becoming confused about the plane’s orientation, leading him to lose control.

    “Based on the evidence of cellphone use during low-altitude maneuvering, including the flight immediately before the accident flight, it is likely that cellphone use during the accident flight distracted the pilot and contributed to the development of spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of control,” the NTSB said in its finding of probable cause for the crash.

  4. Anything worthwhile to do with 4000 Alitilia points? Can they be transferred to another program (although I do not see it listed on points.com)?

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